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FBI Chief: Social Media Is "Big Part" Of Racially Motivated Crimes; Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) Discusses Immigration Crisis, Infrastructure Bill; Pfizer Vaccine For Children 5 To 11 Could Come As Soon As Halloween; Prince Andrew Served In Civil Sexual Assault Case. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired September 21, 2021 - 14:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[14:33:11]

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN HOST: Testifying before a Senate committee this morning, FBI Director Christopher Wray blamed social media as a big part of what's driving and racially motivated violence in the U.S.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: CNN's Whitney Wild is following the hearing for us.

What about social media specifically is the concern of the director?

WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: There are two major ways social media is harmful and Christopher Wray broke it down like this: There are Lone Wolf risks as well as risks from small groups.

And what we know is that for a Lone Wolf who might be inclined to violence, the access to this extremist ideology is possible through social media. And that is significantly and very harmful way that social media is weaponized.

But then further, once these two lone wolves come together, they become so much more potent.

And that's something that we saw leading up to January 6th where these people who prior to social media may have never had any interaction were able to get together and to galvanize in furtherance of this stolen election lie and then eventually commit this atrocity that happened on January 6th.

But here's FBI Director Christopher Wray in his own words.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTOPHER WRAY, FBI DIRECTOR: As terrorism moves at the speed of social media, and you have the ability of lone actors, disgruntled in one part of the country, to spin up similar like-minded individuals in other parts of the country, and urge them into action or inspire them into action.

(END VIDEO CLIP) WILD: And the reality is that social media's not going anywhere.

And the members of Congress know this, which is why the chairman of that committee, Senator Gary Peters from Michigan, sent letters to social media companies, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter, to say, hey, social media is becoming a major problem here, it is a conduit for terrorism and violence, so what are you going to do to stop this?

He's pushing social media companies to come up with proof that their policies and practices prohibiting that kind of content are actually working.

[14:35:07]

Further, he pressed director Wray on what he's doing to try to help these social media companies stop doing what they're doing and root out the violence.

Christopher Wray said they're ramping up efforts there, both utilizing data analytics as well as expanding what he called their human base of operations to try to separate what is a realistic threat coming from social media and what is just noise -- Victor and Alisyn?

BLACKWELL: Whitney Wild, thank you.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was pressed on the crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RON JOHNSON (R-WI): Do you honestly believe that our borders are closed?

ALEXJANDRO MAYORKAS, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: Senator, I do.

JOHNSON: Of the 1.3 million people that we've apprehended, how many people have been returned? How many people are being detained? And how many people have been dispersed? And I want some numbers here.

MAYORKAS: Senator, I would be pleased to provide you with that data.

JOHNSON: I want them now. Why don't you have that information now?

MAYORKAS: Senator, I do not have that data.

JOHNSON: Why not? Why don't you have that basic information?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Well, the secretary added the administration is working to clear out the thousands of migrants under the Del Rio International Bridge over the next few days.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said that the state is using unprecedented methods to deter migrants from crossing the border.

Joining us now is Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar of Texas.

Congressman, thanks for being with us.

First, the question of should these Haitian migrants be flown back on these repatriation flights to Haiti? Dozens of your colleagues say they should not be, because Haiti is not prepared to receive them, potentially for months, maybe years.

What do you think?

REP. HENRY CUELLAR (D-TX): Well, I think we need to follow the law, and the law is very simple. The law says that you're supposed to stay here, you stay here. And the law says you're not supposed to stay here, then we deport you. That's what we have to do is follow the law.

We can always provide assistance to make sure that when they get there, that they are taken care of. But again, I'm one of those. I will follow the law. And the law says that if you have to be returned, you will be returned.

And again, look, and the other thing is you got to keep in mind, I got -- I represent border communities. We cannot only represent immigration activists.

We also have to keep in mind the border communities, the pressure, the frustration that's down there when you have thousands of people that come in at the same time.

We have seen over 1.5 million individuals just this particular year, and people tend to forget that it's not only the immigration activists that you have to pay attention to. And I agree with that.

But you also cannot forget the border communities, the mayors, the judges, all the people who live there down on the border.

BLACKWELL: And we have heard from the mayor of Del Rio, who says that it's beyond crisis there.

Let me ask you about some of the images we're seeing of border guards on horseback, chasing or charging migrants on these horses. At least one appears to use what looks like a rope or a lasso.

These are Haitians who have crossed into Mexico to buy food and ice because that's running out under the bridge, and then cross back.

What's your reaction to what you're seeing here?

CUELLAR: Well, you know, certainly, we got to make sure we treat all the immigrants with respect and dignity.

But I will say this. Border Patrol has had those horse brigades for a while. They have had them for a while, number one.

Number two, they don't carry whips and they do not carry lassos. I think the picture you're talking about, at least the one I have seen, is the rein, the rein of the horses, so -- (CROSSTALK)

BLACKWELL: Should those be used? Should those be used, even if it is a rein?

CUELLAR: Well, again, if there was a problem, it should be investigated, and I think that's it. But we cannot paint the Border Patrol with the same type of paint brush.

Look, you know, what are they supposed to do, just stand there and let everybody come in? You know, they're supposed to be enforcing the law.

But again, as to how you enforce it, make sure you treat people with dignity and respect.

BLACKWELL: But does the enforcing the law require what you're seeing there? Is that the way the people should be treated?

CUELLAR: Again, that incident will be looked at, but again, that's not a whip. That is not a lasso. They do not carry that. That seems to be the reins and the -- from the horse itself.

You're creating a distinction between swinging a rein at someone versus a whip. I don't know that, as we heard from the White House, that they make that distinction.

Let me ask you about all the other elements that are happening in the House. You're one of the nine Democrats who Speaker Pelosi made a promise to, that on the 27th, there would be this vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill.

[14:40:04]

We're coming up on that. We have heard from the whip, Congressman Clyburn, that potentially, they're going to work toward that but maybe not make that deadline.

First, on timing, we'll get to the ultimatums later. ultimatums later. Will you accept a vote after September 27th and still support the larger reconciliation bill?

CUELLAR: Well, let me put it the other way. The agreement was that we would have a vote on September 27th. I trust the word of Speaker Pelosi, Jim Clyburn, Mr. Hoyer, when we met with them.

They said there would be a vote on that. If somebody wants a vote against then, the bipartisan bill, that it's historic to bring broadband monies for roads and all that, water, then they have to explain that vote.

But we agreed to have a vote on the 27th. A reconciliation, of course, we made an agreement that whatever we vote in the House will be something that would be accepted by the progressives and the moderates, both in the House and the Senate. No ping-pong.

But something that can be sent directly to the president once it passes the House and the Senate.

BLACKWELL: Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says if the larger $3.5 trillion bill is not voted on in the House and the Senate, that she is a "no" on the smaller infrastructure bill. And she's got dozens of votes with her as well.

Is this about to collapse? Will either of these bills pass?

CUELLAR: You know, I feel confident that we do have some -- look, I understand there are differences. I mean, definitely, there's differences within the Democrat caucus. But I think at the end of the day, we are going to get there.

You know, there will be a few hiccups on the way but, at the end of the day, we are going to pass a Biden administration agenda, one that will be balanced, one that will be supported by all 50 Democrats in the House and the Senate and by the Democrats in the House.

There will be some differences. I understand that.

(CROSSTALK)

BLACKWELL: It seems like an understatement, Congressman. You calling their bluff or they're calling yours?

CUELLAR: Well, look, I'm not calling anybody's bluff. All I know is let's have a vote on the 27th and whoever wants to vote "no," they can explain that vote.

But I intend to vote "yes" on the bipartisan infrastructure bill. I definitely want to support a reconciliation.

I was not in the room when somebody agreed to the $3.5 trillion. I want to focus not on the money. But I want to focus on health care, education, what are we going to fund, because we want to remake the safety net of the United States.

BLACKWELL: All right, Congressman Henry Cuellar, thank you so much, sir.

CUELLAR: It's a pleasure. Thank you so much.

CAMEROTA: All right, we also have new details about the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine and how a booster shot of that vaccine stacks up with Moderna and Pfizer.

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[14:47:36]

BLACKWELL: Pediatric COVID infections are increasing dramatically across the U.S. According to new data, kids now account for nearly 26 percent of all reported cases nationwide with nearly 226,000 infections reported in children last week alone.

CAMEROTA: CNN's Jason Carroll has the latest on that and the timeline of when 5 to 11-year-olds might start getting vaccinated.

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JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Today, an encouraging development for the nearly 15 million Americans who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The company now says that adding a second dose of the shot provides 94 percent protection against symptomatic infections.

It's a big day for Pfizer as well. FDA authorization on their booster shot for some people could be coming at any moment. CDC advisors will meet on the matter tomorrow.

This, as it looks more and more likely the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 could come as soon as Halloween.

DR. ZEKE EMANUEL, FORMER OBAMA WHITE HOUSE HEALTH POLICY ADVISER: We have had 225,000 kids with COVID. It's a serious issue among children, and the best way to protect them is with this vaccine.

CARROLL: Many hospitals seeing an increased number of children infected with COVID-19. Doctors had to put up a tent outside an emergency room of a children's hospital in Pittsburgh to help meet the demand of patients.

The hospital's chief of emergency medicine writing on social media, "The number of children coming to the emergency department at UPMC Children's is historic. In all, ICUs are still over 90 percent full in at least six states."

DR. STEVE NEMERSON, CHIEF CLINICAL OFFICER, IDAHO'S SAINT ALPHONSUS HEALTH SYSTEM: Currently, across the state, we have activated crisis standards of care. This means that the ability to deliver community standards of care using conventional means has been exhausted.

CARROLL: Two-thirds of hospitals in Kentucky are reporting critical staffing shortages.

GOV. ANDY BESHEAR (D-KY): I start my day every day with the situational report from hospitals, and it hurts to see that a hospital has every single person, every single ventilator in use and we have to send them more. That's a trend that we want to reverse.

CARROLL: The U.S. hit the historic milestone yesterday of 675,000 deaths, more than the estimated toll of the 1918 flu pandemic.

And medical professionals are now sounding the alarm about the flu season as well, which doctors say could be particularly harsh this season given how little exposure people had to it last year.

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[14:50:10]

CARROLL: And getting vaccinated, still a tough sell for far too many. A health care provider in North Carolina had to suspend hundreds of employees because they had not gotten vaccinated.

Nearly 400 employees from Novant Health were suspended and could not report to work due to COVID-19 noncompliance.

Despite that, Novant says more than 98 percent of their employees are, indeed, compliant. But still, 400 employees not coming to work in the health care field.

CAMEROTA: In the health care field.

CARROLL: In the health care field. Exactly.

CAMEROTA: Jason Carroll, thank you very much.

BLACKWELL: Thank you.

CAMEROTA: Now to this, a big development in a sexual assault lawsuit against Prince Andrew. We'll go live to London, next.

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CAMEROTA: Prince Andrew has officially been served with legal papers in a civil sexual assault case.

BLACKWELL: CNN's Max Foster joins us now from London.

So, Max, have we heard anything from Prince Andrew's legal team?

MAX FOSTER, CNN LONDON ANCHOR & CORRESPONDENT: We haven't. We just get no comments from the legal team.

Prince Andrew has previously denied any of these allegations made by Giuffre, but they have really struggled to get him to engage in this specific case.

In order for it to proceed, Giuffre's team have to prove that they have served papers to Prince Andrew. They say they have done that via e-mail, post, and indeed in person.

It is addressed here in the U.K. But Prince Andrew's team haven't acknowledged receipt of those papers.

[14:55:05]

Prince Andrew then did appoint a U.S. lawyer to attend a pre-trial hearing where they argued the papers had been served properly.

That was actually a bit of a breakthrough for Giuffre's team because it opened an opportunity for them. They went to the judge and said, can we serve the papers instead to Prince Andrew's lawyer? The judge said yes.

And now we know that Giuffre's team have served papers to Andrew's U.S. lawyer. They now say that the case can proceed. I'm sure Prince Andrew's team will challenge that.

But if Giuffre's lawyers are right on this, then he has 21 days, either to respond or he'll face a default judgment.

BLACKWELL: All right. Max Foster, with the latest for us. Thank you, Max.

President Biden's agenda is teetering on the brink, with open warfare in his own party between the progressives and the moderates. Can they get it done?

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[15:00:01]

BLACKWELL: Top of a brand-new hour. I'm Victor Blackwell.

CAMEROTA: And I'm Alisyn Camerota.

This afternoon, a critical congressional vote. Lawmakers trying to avoid, quote, "economic catastrophe" as the treasury secretary calls it.